Throughout the centuries, art has been one of the most valuable forms of communication for all sorts of people wanting to express themselves. More precisely, painterly portraiture allowed artists to offer an even deeper glimpse into the souls of their subjects, as well as their own, for anyone willing to take the time and look. As people have evolved over the centuries, art has progressed in a parallel motion. The style, subject, and intent of a portrait provide details into the lives of the subject, the artist, as well as the socioeconomic environment surrounding the two. After the French Revolution, portraiture evolved from the Neoclassical style to the Romantic style, to the Realistic style, to the Impressionist style, and finally to the
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While distinctions between each style did not exist as clearly as they do today, they have all had a profound impact on art, and continue to inspire modern artists.
After the French Revolution of 1789, the public was fed up with the anarchy that had ruled their lives. All the monarchy had done for them was steal what little wealth and sustenance they had managed to accumulate to use for their own frivolous enjoyment. Palaces were built that could house entire villages, while feasts were given that could feed entire cities. Meanwhile, the public starved and grew rebellious. Years of turmoil between the aristocracy and the rest of the people gave the public a very chaotic environment. Eventually, all this unease bubbled up and blew over on the monarchy, resulting in social reform and new ideas on the role of government. In response to the anarchy, the French people demanded rationality and order. This demand gave rise to Neoclassicism. Neoclassicism was the response of the French artists to the people. The artists drew inspiration from the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations to create very precise works of art that followed …show more content…
Therefore the conclusion that art as a representation of life could be made equally ordered and rational was also false, and it did not take long for a new style of painting to emerge from under the shadow of Neoclassicism. This new style of art was called Romanticism. Romanticism grew as an artistic movement during the early 19th century. In 1846, Charles Baudelaire wrote, “Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling.” Romanticism was fueled by the new Napoleonic era. While French Romanticism was often less apocalyptic that it’s British counterpart, the Drama, valor, and adventure of the Napoleonic Wars provided endless material for artistic imagination. One of the most important Romantic artists and a pioneer of the style was Eugene Delacroix. Delacroix mastered the use of color in his paintings, and he employed a vast repertoire of subjects to paint from his frequent travels. The destination that inspired him the most was Morocco. In the March of 1832, Delacroix left France with the French diplomat Charles de Mornay. Their destination was the palace of Sultan Abd er-Rahman ben Hicham in Meknes, to watch a speech he gave to his troops. It took 13 years for Delacroix to paint the famous portrait depicting the scene. Finally, in 1845, he debuted his 12 foot high The Sultan of Morocco and his Entourage at the
While distinctions between each style did not exist as clearly as they do today, they have all had a profound impact on art, and continue to inspire modern artists.
After the French Revolution of 1789, the public was fed up with the anarchy that had ruled their lives. All the monarchy had done for them was steal what little wealth and sustenance they had managed to accumulate to use for their own frivolous enjoyment. Palaces were built that could house entire villages, while feasts were given that could feed entire cities. Meanwhile, the public starved and grew rebellious. Years of turmoil between the aristocracy and the rest of the people gave the public a very chaotic environment. Eventually, all this unease bubbled up and blew over on the monarchy, resulting in social reform and new ideas on the role of government. In response to the anarchy, the French people demanded rationality and order. This demand gave rise to Neoclassicism. Neoclassicism was the response of the French artists to the people. The artists drew inspiration from the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations to create very precise works of art that followed …show more content…
Therefore the conclusion that art as a representation of life could be made equally ordered and rational was also false, and it did not take long for a new style of painting to emerge from under the shadow of Neoclassicism. This new style of art was called Romanticism. Romanticism grew as an artistic movement during the early 19th century. In 1846, Charles Baudelaire wrote, “Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling.” Romanticism was fueled by the new Napoleonic era. While French Romanticism was often less apocalyptic that it’s British counterpart, the Drama, valor, and adventure of the Napoleonic Wars provided endless material for artistic imagination. One of the most important Romantic artists and a pioneer of the style was Eugene Delacroix. Delacroix mastered the use of color in his paintings, and he employed a vast repertoire of subjects to paint from his frequent travels. The destination that inspired him the most was Morocco. In the March of 1832, Delacroix left France with the French diplomat Charles de Mornay. Their destination was the palace of Sultan Abd er-Rahman ben Hicham in Meknes, to watch a speech he gave to his troops. It took 13 years for Delacroix to paint the famous portrait depicting the scene. Finally, in 1845, he debuted his 12 foot high The Sultan of Morocco and his Entourage at the